Algero-Iranian relations refers to the diplomatic relations between Iran and Algeria. Algeria over-all has a friendly relationship with Iran despite having had some strains during the Algerian civil war and disagreements on some of Iran's regional policies in the Arab world.

History

Islamic conquest

The

Rustamid dynasty The Rustamid dynasty () (or ''Rustumids'', ''Rostemids'') was an Ibadi dynasty of Persian origin which ruled a state that was centered in present-day Algeria. The dynasty governed as a Muslim theocracy for a century and a half from its capital Ta ...

, a famous Ibadi Islamic dynasty in Algeria, was of Persian origin.

Modern relations

After the independence of Algeria, then-

Pahlavi Iran The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...

soon established relations with Algeria, but due to its remoteness and lack of interests, Algeria and Iran's relations remained modest. When the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

overthrew the Shah and replaced the monarchy with a theocratic Republic, Algeria served as representative of Iran's interests in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

from 1981 until the

Algerian Civil War The Algerian Civil War (), known in Algeria as the Black Decade (, ), was a civil war fought between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups from 11 January 1992 (following a 1992 Algerian coup d'état, coup negating an Islami ...

Algerian Civil War

During the war, Algeria accused Iran, alongside

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

and

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

for meddling in the conflict and supporting the hardcore

Armed Islamic Group of Algeria The Armed Islamic Group (GIA, from ; ) was one of the two main Islamist insurgent groups that fought the Algerian government and army in the Algerian Civil War. It was created from smaller armed groups following the 1992 military coup and arr ...

which killed nearly 200,000 people. Iran was found to have used Sudan as a transit supporting rebels and secretly supported by Sudan.

Chadli Bendjedid Chadli Bendjedid (; ALA-LC: ''ash-Shādhilī bin Jadīd''; 14 April 1929 – 6 October 2012) was an Algerian military officer and politician who served as the third President of Algeria. His presidential term of office ran from 9 February 1979 ...

, then-

President of Algeria The president of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (, ) is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces. The current president is Abdelmadjid Tebbo ...

, believed that Algeria could not become the other Iran, and the Islamists, supported by both Iran and Saudi Arabia, were suppressed. This low-point relations pushed Algeria to finally cede their mission of representing Iran's interests in the United States in response to Iran's supports to GIA.

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

later replaced Algeria as representative of Iran's interests.

Modern relations

Since the end of the civil war, Algeria and Iran re-approached the relationship in 2000 by Algerian President

Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...

and Iranian counterpart

Mohammad Khatami Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...

, but there has been a strong mistrust alongside Algerian elites and majority Algerian population upon Iranian political desires, a legacy left behind because of Iran's involvement in the Algerian Civil War. Algeria still has some limits towards Iran's political desires in the country. Nonetheless, in spite of historical concerns and mistrusts, Algeria and Iran still share some similar views. Algeria and Iran both opposed arming to the opposition groups in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

amidst the Syrian Civil War or the same current Yemeni Civil War although limited in level terms as Iran directly involved in these wars while Algeria called for total mediations and ceasefires. Algeria is one of few Arab nations that is willing to cooperate with Iran. Algeria keeps a strong cultural relationship with Iran, a legacy of its ensure neutrality. Economic ties between two nations are also growing expensively and positively, paving the way for deeper ties between the two nations.

Algerian Embassy

Algeria maintains an embassy in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. * Ambassador Abdelmoun’aam Ahriz

Iranian Embassy

Iran has an embassy in

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

. * Ambassador

Hossein Mashalchizadeh Hussein, Hossein, Hussain, Hossain, Huseyn, Husayn, Husein, Hussin, Hoessein, Houcine, Hocine or Husain (; ), coming from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-N (), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan, meaning "good", "handsome" or ...

References

External links

Embassy of Algeria in Iran

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Algiers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Algeria-Iran relations

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Bilateral relations of Iran

History

Islamic conquest

Modern relations

Algerian Civil War

Modern relations

Algerian Embassy

Iranian Embassy

See also

References

External links